Dighton Rock
A boulder on the bank of a river in Massachusetts is covered in carved lines and figures. People have said it was made by Phoenicians, Vikings or Portuguese sailors.
What was reported
Dighton Rock is a 40-tonne sandstone boulder that once lay in the Taunton River, covered with carved designs, lines and figures. Colonists recorded it in 1680, and it's one of the most studied rocks in America.
Over the centuries, people have attributed the carvings to Phoenicians, Scythians, Vikings, Chinese explorers and others. A popular theory says that a Portuguese explorer, Miguel Corte-Real, who vanished in 1502, carved his name and the date 1511 on it.
Explanations offered
Most archaeologists think the carvings were made by Native Americans, perhaps over a long time. Later carvings may have been added. The rock is now kept in a museum in Dighton Rock State Park.
- When
- Recorded since 1680
- Where
- Berkley, Massachusetts, USA
- Witnesses
- Colonists, scholars and theorists
- Status
- Origins debated
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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